Recently I have had 3 cases come through the clinic with suspected or confirmed poisonings.
The care that you give your pet in the first few minutes in any emergency can make all the difference. Be prepared!
Our homes contain dozens of chemicals that can be harmful to our pets. Most poisonings occur when our pets:
- drink a tainted substance
- clean a toxic substance from their fur
- eat a pest that has been poisoned
- eat a toxic substance (e.g. chocolate)
More often than not we are unaware if our pet has ingested anything. You may come home from work and find that your pet is acting strangely and not themselves.
The symptoms your pet may experience will vary depending on the type of poison ingested and how it was ingested e.g. through the skin, drinking, inhaling etc. Symptoms can range from vomiting, breathing difficulties to drooling.
Some of the more common symptoms are as below:
- lethargy
- agitation
- tremors
- convulsions
- unsteady on feet
- diarrhoea/vomiting
- breathing problems
- pale gums
In cases where pets have ingested caustic chemicals such as petroleum products, acids and other caustic substances blisters may be seen around the mouth.
Caustic chemicals will burn your pet’s mouth and also their throat. If this is the case DO NOT induce vomiting as this will cause even further damage. Your pet may also be in a lot of pain and hesitant for you to go near their mouth.
Dealing with any emergency first aid situations can be scary. It can be difficult to remain calm however your pet will pick up on your energy so the more calm you can stay the calmer your pet will be.
Try and keep your pet warm and as quiet as possible. Any form of stress will not help your pet’s condition.
Your first point of call is the vet. If you know what your pet has ingested let them know straight away.
Your vet will be able to tell you what symptoms to look out for. They will also be able to provide you with some quick first aid assistance if it is required.
Your vet will also inform you as to whether or not you should induce vomiting. Never induce vomiting without guidance from your vet.
In two of the cases that I had over the last few weeks I was very grateful that both of these owners had homeopathy kits at their ready. This was instrumental to both of these pets getting care straight away. We were able to administer homeopathy as and when required depending on what symptoms were being shown at the time.
One of these cases also included severe burns to the mouth and the throat. After the owner had sought veterinarian advice we provided homeopathic support for the burns to the mouth and throat. We also used homeopathy to help support the removal of toxins. This was all done in conjunction with the treatment from the vet and the outcome was a much speedier healing process all due to homeopathy.
In emergency situations homeopathy can help support your pet however I cannot stress enough that your first point of contact is the vet as they will be able to guide you on your next steps
Homeopathy can also support your pet in conjunction with what medical treatment the vet has provided. It can also provide on-going support to help your pet remove any toxins and to support the kidney and liver function.
Thankfully all of these cases had a happy ending. One in particular could have had a very different outcome if the owner had not had homeopathy at their disposal.
